by Codi Gary
I never meant to hurt anyone, but especially not you. I wasn’t thinking about anyone but myself when I wrote this, when I edited it, and when I submitted it to publishers. I love you. I don’t care about the book or the publishing contract. I’ll rip it all up, if only you’ll come back to me.
He tapped Send just before he passed out.
* * *
Hours later, Eric woke up to the shrill ringing of his phone and realized he was freezing his balls off. As he searched frantically for his phone, he found it between his seats and nearly broke his hand getting it out.
“Hello,” he croaked.
Jim’s voice blared through his phone’s speaker, making him wince. “Eric? You sound like shit.”
Eric tried to turn his car on and realized he’d run out of gas. “It’s kind of a shitty time, Jim. What do you need?”
“Well, it’s about this text you sent me. I didn’t realize you were writing a book.”
Text I sent? “I didn’t send you anything, Jim.”
The other man chuckled gamely. “Yeah, I figured it wasn’t for me since you told me you loved me, but I did start reading your book.”
Suddenly, Eric was wide awake. He’d sent his book to Jim? Ah, son of a…
“Listen, Jim, I’m—”
“I got to say, son, this is really good stuff.
Eric paused. “Did you read the whole thing?”
“Yeah, your text woke me up, so I figured I’d finish it. Why don’t I pick you up, and we can grab a cup of coffee? I have an idea I want to run past you. I assume you’re worried about what the town is going to think, right?”
“Actually, yeah.”
“Then relax, kid, and trust me one last time.”
* * *
On Friday, Gracie sat in the courthouse lobby, waiting for her turn to be called. Margaret was already there, looking pale and thinner than just the week before. Gracie hated that she was in so much pain, but was too nervous to come up with anything to comfort her.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, and she pressed the screen to see what it was. An email from Gemma about the Rock Canyon Press.
You need to read this!!! the subject line read.
Curious, Gracie tapped on the email.
Miss Know-It-All Says Good-Bye
Gracie’s heart leapt in her chest, and she kept reading.
Citizens of Rock Canyon. It has been my pleasure to engage you, to thrill you, and, at times, irritate you with my column. Please know that everything I have written has been for the sake of entertainment and not to hurt any of you. Especially the woman I love.
Yes, I, Eric Henderson, have been masquerading as a woman in order to give you titillating gossip. But that’s not all I’ve done.
I have also written a novel, a work of fiction, based on my time as Miss Know-It-All. I realize I may offend some of you, and I hope you know it was not my intention. I wanted to create larger-than-life characters who would jump off the page and make readers love them, hate them, or love to hate them. They are not any of you, however. They are overblown figments of my imagination, with grains of reality at the root. All I mean is, although you may see yourself in a character, it is not how I truly see you.
Take the character of Suzie. She’s a beautiful, selfish woman who plays the hero’s heart like a fiddle. Now, the woman who closely resembles Suzie is kind. She is selfless and loving. She is generous and loyal…
And I am in love with her.
I only hope she sees this final column, and finds it in her heart to forgive. To believe in me and what we have together is very real. And that I want every little piece of her.
“Gracie McAllister?” someone called from the courtroom.
Gracie climbed to her feet, her hands trembling as she turned her phone on silent. Eric had presented her with a grand gesture, a romantic overture in front of everyone. It was a move that would surely gain him some enemies and yet…he hadn’t care. He had stuck his neck out to prove his love was real.
Gracie walked into the courtroom smiling. There was no one there to contest her guardianship, and Margaret spoke of her with such warmth that Gracie wept openly.
When the judge granted her guardianship, Gracie hugged Margaret hard, and they walked out into the sunshine together. Despite the cold wind chill, it was a gorgeous day.
Or maybe that was just the reflection of everything Gracie was feeling.
A rail thin woman in her forties was playing on the front steps with Pip, and when Gracie saw her, she ran down the steps as quickly as she could. Pip held up her arms just as Gracie swept her up and hugged her tight.
Tears pricked her eyes as she whispered, “You get to come home with me, sweetheart. I missed you.”
Pip’s arms tightened around her neck. “Missed Mommy.”
Gracie’s heart somersaulted in her chest. Mommy. I’m mommy.
“Gracie, this is my daughter, Hazel. She’s Pip’s grandmother.”
Gracie moved Pip to one hip and held her hand out to Hazel. “Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Thank you for taking care of her.”
The woman avoided Gracie’s gaze and she waited for her to ask to see Pip as well, but she didn’t. It was so strange that Margaret could be so focused on everyone else, yet her daughter didn’t…
No, no more judging people. It wasn’t any of her business why Hazel wouldn’t want her granddaughter, anyway.
Margaret kissed her cheek, and Gracie hugged the older woman. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
“All right, honey.” Margaret kissed Pip, and as her daughter helped her down the stairs, Gracie knew how hard this must have been for Margaret. It was why Gracie planned on giving Margaret the picture of Pip and Margaret that Ryan had taken when she saw her tomorrow. She was hoping to help ease the other woman’s sadness as best she could.
Gracie smiled into Pip’s glowing face. “Wanna go home?”
“Home!”
They headed down the steps and back to Rock Canyon. Gracie would wait until Pip was asleep before she dealt with Eric. Her parents had decided to move back to Rock Canyon and were trying to find a place to live. They could keep an eye on Pip tonight for half an hour or so.
She had a date with destiny.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Sometimes doing the right thing is hard…doing the best thing for you can feel damn near impossible.” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.
Gracie stood just outside the front door of Buck’s at half past ten that night. It had taken her longer than she expected to get Pip to sleep, and she’d been loath to leave until she was sure she was out cold. She was in a hurry, as unromantic as that might be, and the big lug blocking her entry was not helping matters.
“Grant, so help me GOD, if you do not let me pass, I will make you sorrier than any man has ever been!”
Grant leaned back against the wall and turned the lower half of his body away from the possible danger. “He’s working. You can see him tomorrow when the mere sight of you isn’t going to send him drowning in a full bottle of tequila.”
“I am not going to upset him—”
“Upset him? You broke his damn heart, and I’m not letting you do it again.”
Gracie knew Grant’s concern was coming from a place of love, but her patience had reached its breaking point. “I’m not going to hurt him! My plan is to make him ecstatically happy! Now get out of my way.”
When he still didn’t budge, she had no choice. Gracie kicked Grant in the shin with her pointy boots, and he grabbed his shin with a yelp.
“You are a menace!” Grant reached for her, and she ducked under his arms. He lost his balance and fell on his face in the snow. She took the opportunity to run through the doorway. She searched the bar for Eric and saw no sign. Her eyes caught the stage, where Bobby Lassiter’s band was performing. Gracie grinned and started forward, only to be grabbed from behind.
“I told you, you can talk to him tomorrow. He’s had a rough n
ight, with people giving him shit about that book he wrote, so—”
Gracie struggled, kicking and swinging her arms as he effortlessly held her off the floor. “Dammit, Grant, if you don’t let me inside, I’m going to make sure you never father children!”
* * *
Eric was in a surprisingly good mood considering several ladies had hit him with their oversized purses. He was also pretty sure Mrs. Andrews had thrown an apple at him in the grocery store, but still, he was downright chipper. Because the people that mattered, his family and friends, had all rallied behind what he’d done. They were proud.
He was just waiting on one more person to show up.
Eric opened the storeroom door in time to hear Gracie’s angry shout. He rushed out and found Grant with his arms around Gracie, holding the fire-breathing wildcat off the ground.
“Grant, let her go.”
Gracie saw him and, after shooting him a wide grin, elbowed his brother in the stomach
“Ow, dammit!” He dropped his arms from around Gracie and stepped away from her, glaring. “You’re evil!”
She pushed her wild hair out of her face to reveal a dark scowl. “Next time a woman says to let her go, maybe you should listen.”
Grant threw his hands in the air. “Can you deal with this, bro? For such a little woman, she’s ornerier than a three-legged cat in a gunny sack.”
Gracie turned all her attention to Eric and pointed. “You.”
He crossed his arms calmly and confirmed. “Me.”
She closed the distance between them until they were toe to toe. Eric was aware of the people standing around them, but he didn’t care. His attention was completely riveted.
“I was fine you know,” she said. “I was doing great until you hauled me off that stage on Valentine’s Day almost two years ago. And even when you kept pestering me and coming into the shop, I was still good. Why couldn’t you just leave me alone?”
“I did leave you alone. I’ve left you alone for months at a time.”
His words carried a definite bite, which drained away as he added, “And it killed me to do it.”
Her eyes filled with tears and his heart hammered as he wondered what all this meant.
“Why, though? You could have picked any other girl!”
He didn’t know what else to say but,“They wouldn’t have been you.”
“See, and then you have to go and say all these amazing things when I want to be mad.” She sniffled loudly. “You know I’m a wreck when it comes to relationships. You’ve said it yourself, I always run.”
“I have a theory about that.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I like to think you weren’t running away from them, but toward me.”
She didn’t struggle as he pulled him to her. “What about the times I ran from you?”
“Your feelings were just too strong. But now that you’ve seen the worst, you’re ready for the best.”
Gracie’s lips twitched. “Weeding through all the frogs?”
“And penguins.”
She laughed huskily. “Penguins?”
He nodded. “Yeah, penguins. Nice enough fellows, but aren’t as cool as a bald eagle.”
“Except you aren’t bald now. Your hair’s getting a little too long, actually.”
He scowled at her. “You know, I have no idea why I missed you. Grant is right; you’re ornery. You are the orneriest woman I’ve ever met. First my beard makes you itch, and now my hair is too long? Are you never satisfied, woman?”
Her laughter died. “With you? Yes. And I missed you too. I haven’t slept very well without you.”
“Just because you’re still sleeping on that hard couch.”
“It could just be that maybe I’m used to your snores.” Her smile was teasing and a little sad.
He clenched his hands into fists around her waist so he wouldn’t reach up and shake her. “I’ve told you how I feel. I love you. The question is, how do you feel about me?”
She seemed to be thinking awfully hard for someone who had just fought his brother to have her say.
“I’m waiting.”
She took a deep breath and stared up at him, and the look on her face nearly brought him to his knees. Her smile was soft, her eyes were shiny in the dim light, and she was watching him with such a tender expression, his arms fell limp at his sides.
“I’m an idiot. A dipshit. A moron…” She took another breath. “Dumbass, stupid, crazy…”
He didn’t want to hear her call herself names, he wanted her to tell him that he hadn’t been crazy to write that column. “Gracie, get to the point!”
“I needed to tell you that you are the only man who has ever known me and liked me anyway, and that I think you’re the most amazing…”
“For God’s sake, are you just going to keep rambling at me?”
Her eyes narrowed. “…pain-in-the-ass guy I’ve ever known.”
His mouth twitched a little. “I don’t think that’s what you were going to say.”
“If you’d stop interrupting, I’d probably be able to get it out.”
He waved his hand in front of him and said, “Go ahead.”
“I want you like I’ve never wanted anyone, and I can’t breathe without you, I can’t sleep without you. I want to spend all my minutes, days, hours…”
He took her shoulders in his hands, and this time, he did gently shake her. “Okay, I know I said I wouldn’t interrupt, but I’m a guy. I don’t need romantic speeches or dramatic gestures. I want it straight forward and to the point.”
She swallowed hard. “You want straight forward? All right, I’m sorry, and I want to start over. For real this time. You and me. Because I love…”
His mouth covered hers before she could finish, and he held her tightly to him, kissing her desperately, putting every lonely night, every smile he missed, every misery he’d felt over the last week without her into the kiss. He felt her melt against him and slip her arms around his waist, meeting his lips and tongue. The sound of cheers broke through the blood pounding in his ears, and he pulled back. The bar patrons, his family, and the band were whooping and shouting.
He shot them a glare. “Can’t a man get a little privacy around here?”
“Not in this town, Miss Know-It-All!” someone shouted.
Laughter erupted, and Eric smiled good-naturedly. “Wanna take this somewhere private?”
She squeezed his waist. “Sure.”
He led her back to the storeroom and shut the door behind him.
“You didn’t let me finish,” she said.
“So finish. Who’s stopping you now?” he teased her, and when she opened her mouth, he cut her off again. She laughed against his lips, and he took advantage of the opening. Gracie tasted like chocolate and strawberries, and she was his. All his.
He felt a sharp pain in his side and yelped, pulling his head back. “Ow! What did you pinch me for?”
“Because I love you!” She sounded exasperated, even though she was smiling.
He reached up and cradled her cheek in his palm. “I love you too, Gracie Lou.” He kissed her again, hungrily. “God, I wish I could take you home and make up.”
“I can’t. I need to get home before Pip wakes up and finds me gone.”
He frowned down at her. “So, she’s yours, then?”
“I’m her guardian for now, and soon I’ll petition to adopt her. Why, does that upset you?”
“No, I just wish we hadn’t been fighting so you would have told me sooner.”
Gracie sighed and snuggled into his chest. “Are you sure this is what you want? You don’t have to say it if—”
He kissed the top of her head and slid his arms around her back. “I want this. All of it.”
They kissed again, and Eric whispered, “When do you need to be back?”
“Soon. Why?”
“I can lock the door and use nine minutes to make up.”
The corner of her mouth cur
ved. “You’ve got six.”
“I can make that work.”
Epilogue
“Guess who’s back? Back again.” - Miss Know-It-All’s Gossip Column.
Two months after the best six minutes of her life, Gracie couldn’t believe how much her life had changed. Eric had gone ahead with the book at her insistence. She’d grudgingly admitted she might have overreacted, to which he’d generously not made a big deal about.
Then, two weeks ago, they’d tied the knot on a secret trip to Tahoe. Things between them would never be calm and quiet; their love would always be a little stormy. But it was real, and neither one of them had wanted to wait.
And finally, yesterday, they’d officially adopted Pip. She’d had no idea what was happening, except that Gracie was laughing and kissing her, before handing her over to Eric, who had managed to win Pip’s heart with a little help from Fuzz. As he’d tossed her up in the air, and caught her to his chest, Gracie had decided that it was the most perfect, wonderful moment she’d ever experienced.
Their life had pretty much been a whirlwind, but Gracie couldn’t imagine it any other way.
It was Saturday morning, and as Gracie waited for the bagels to finish toasting, she’d gone outside to get the newspaper. Spring was finally coming back to Idaho, but still, the wind brought along a chill that had her rushing back inside.
Gracie opened the Rock Canyon Press, and for a second, she thought she’d read the headline wrong. Frantically turning to page six, she screamed.
“What in the holy hell?”
Eric came racing down the hall in a pair of sweatpants, shirtless, with a baseball bat in hand.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“This! I thought you were done with this!” Gracie said, waving the paper around.
Eric took it from her, and his jaw dropped. “Well, I’ll be damned!”
“You seriously didn’t know about this? This is your column! How is this possible?”
Eric shrugged and handed her back the paper. “I guess Jim found someone to keep the title alive. Like the Dread Pirate Roberts.”
“Ugh, I was just starting to like the paper again too. We haven’t even announced it, so how does she know?”
